Raspberry plant named `Tola`

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of red raspberry plant named `Tola`, botanically identified as Rubus idaeus L. The new cultivar is distinguished from other red fruited raspberry cultivars by its fruit of excellent flavor and color, its high yielding capacity (especially on the primocane crop), and its consistency in production of uniform size and shape of fruit. The new cultivar also has greater firmness than most other red fruited cultivars.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar of raspberry plant was developed from the hybridization of the selection `H374-2` (an unpatented variety) as the seed parent with the selection `K589-1` (an unpatented variety) as the pollen parent. The parents were crossed in the Fall of 1991, whereafter fruit and seed were collected to produce seedlings for field planting in Watsonville Calif. in 1991. The new cultivar was selected from these seedlings in September 1992 for its excellent fruit firmness, fruit structure, and disease resistance. The new cultivar has been asexually propagated by in vitro shoot tip culture, root sucker divison and root cuttings at the Cassin Ranch in Santa Cruz County, Calif. and has been shown to maintain the desired and distinguishing characteristics after propagation over several generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a new and distinct cultivar of red raspberry plant named `Tola`. The cultivar is botanically identified as Rubus idaeus L. The `Tola` red raspberry plant produces a primocane crop which begins in mid to late July and continues until late October. The floricane crop begins in mid to late May and continues until mid July. Both the primocane and floricane yields are high relative to other comparable varieties. The fruit of `Tola` is notably quite firm and very consistent with regard to its size and shape throughout its harvest period. The fruit of `Tola` separates easily from its receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the primocane fruit, leaves and shoot of the new cultivar, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in color illustrations of these characteristics.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of a `Tola` primocane mature leaf and fruit.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of a `Tola` primocane shoot and leaf.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the new raspberry cultivar, `Tola`, is based upon observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Watsonville, Calif. between 1994 and 1997, and is believed to apply to plants of the `Tola` cultivar grown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere.

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small letter signify that the name of the color, as used in common speech, is aptly descriptive. Color data beginning with a capital letter and followed by an alphanumeric code designating the color according the The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions.

Tables 1and 2 provide information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new cultivar `Tola` compared with with characteristics of the unpatented raspberry cultivars `Heritage`, `Summit` and `Amity`. The cultivars closest to the new `Tola` cultivar are `Amity` for fruit size and `Summit` for its fruiting cycles. Observations of the cultivars were taken under similar conditions.

The new variety is particularly characterized and distinguished from other cultivars by its fruit firmness, fruit structure, yield, and disease resistance.

The fruit color of `Tola` is a medium red at harvest but darkens after harvest to a deeper color. Fruit of `Tola` separates easily from the receptacle and is of excellent firmness at harvest. The fruit of `Tola` is very consistent in size and shape throughout the harvest period.

The primocane and floricane yields of `Tola` are high relative to the varieties `Amity` and `Heritage`.

`Tola` is distinguishable from its pollen parent, selection `H374-2`, by producing a higher yield of fruit and having shinier, brighter fruit. The new cultivar is distinguished from its seed parent, selection `K589-1`, by having smaller and firmer fruit.

ISOZYME ANALYSIS

In addition to the morphological description above, the new cultivar `Tola` has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means for identifying the new variety and distinguishing it from some other somewhat similar and/or related raspberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of `Tola`, and the unpatented varieties `Summit` and `Heritage` were analyzed by electrophoresis for isozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and phoshpoglucomutase (PGM) according to the procedure described by J.C. Cousineau and D.J. Donnelly, "Use of isozyme analysis to characterize raspberry cultivars and detect cultivar mislabeling", Hort Science27:1023-1025(1992). Isozyme characterization of the cultivar `Tola` is presented in Table 3, with the letters representing the banding patterns for each enzyme as designated in the above-identified article.

DISEASE AND STRESS RESISTANCE

The cultivar has very high resistance to late leaf rust. Resistance is unknown to powdery mildew and root rots. Cold tolerance of the new cultivar has not been established. Post harvest fruit rot resistance is good in comparison over many selections and varieties.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         PLANT CHARACTERISTICS OF `TOLA`                                                                  Heri-                                                                   Tola   tage     Summit   Amity                                      ______________________________________                                         General                                                                        Plant size   large    large    small- medium                                                                  medium                                          Growth habit erect    erect    semi-  erect                                                                   erect                                           Productivity very     medium   high   low-                                                  high                     medium                                   Self-fruitfulness                                                                           self-    self-    self-  self-                                                 fruit-   fruit-   fruit- fruit-                                                ful      ful      ful    ful                                      Primocane                                                                      fruiting                                                                       percent of cane                                                                             ˜40-50                                                                            ˜5-20                                                                             ˜40-50                                                                          ˜20-35                             length                                                                         flowering as                                                                   primocane                                                                      percent of total                                                                            ˜50-60                                                                            ˜40-60                                                                            ˜50-70                                                                          ˜40-50                             yield                                                                          Number of young                                                                             many     medium   few    many                                     shoots                                                                         Primocanes                                                                     number fruiting                                                                             9-22     2-14     9-15   6-14                                     laterals/cane                                                                               (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 16)      8)       12)    10)                                      number of    1-5      3-5      2-7    1-6                                      canes/crown  (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 3)       4)       3)     3)                                       young shoot  medium    medium   medium                                                                                medium                                  pigmentation inten-   inten-   inten- inten-                                                sity     sity     sity   sity                                                  red      red      red    red                                      length (cm)  162-     182-     137-   135-                                                  243      230      212    208                                                   (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 193)     208)     164)   168)                                     diameter                                                                       (end of 1st year)                                                              cane base (cm)                                                                              1.0-1.8  0.9-1.4  0.8-1.3                                                                               0.8-1.5                                               (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 1.4)     1.2)     1.1)   1.1)                                     central 1/3 of                                                                              0.7-1.3  0.8-1.1  0.7-1.0                                                                               0.6-1.0                                  cane (cm)    (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 1.1)     1.0)     0.8)   0.8)                                     time of shoot                                                                               medium   very     late   medium                                   emergence             late                                                     prickles                                                                       pigmentation green-   green-   brown- purple                                                                  ish                                                          brown-   brown-   purple-                                                      ish      ish                                                                   green    green    purple                                          density on young                                                                            medium   dense    sparse sparse                                   shoots                                                                         attitude of tip                                                                             down-    down-    down-  hori-                                                 ward     ward     ward   zontal                                   size         small    medium   medium small                                    texture      soft     rigid    heavy  heavy                                    presence and regu-    regu-    regu-  regu-                                    distribution larly    larly    larly  larly                                    on petioles  distri-  distri-  distri-                                                                               distri-                                               buted    buted    buted  buted                                    pubescence on                                                                               strong   absent   medium medium                                   canes                 or                                                                             very                                                                           weak                                                     internodal                                                                     distance (cm)                                                                  (at central 1/3                                                                             3.5-6.5  3.0-6.0  3.2-7.5                                                                               3.0-6.5                                  of cane)     (mean     (mean     (mean                                                                               (mean                                                 5.2)     4.7)     4.8)   5.0)                                     lenticels    not      not      not    not                                                   visible  visible  visible                                                                               visible                                  Floricanes                                                                     number       12-20    10-14    10-15  12-19                                    nodes/lateral                                                                  branch                                                                         number of    2-4      1-4      2-6    1-2                                      flowers/node                                                                   Leaves                                                                         Arrangement  com-     com-     com-   com-                                                  pound    pound    pound  pound                                    Relief between                                                                              weak     very     medium medium                                   veins                 weak                                                     Cross section                                                                               concave  concave  flat   con-                                                                           cave-                                                                          flat                                     Leaflet number                                                                              usually  3-5      usually                                                                               usually                                               5                 5      3                                        Terminal leaflet                                                               length (cm)  11.6     14.6     12.4   13.7                                     width (cm)   7.5      7.8      7.2    12.1                                     shape        ovate    ovate    ovate  lobed                                    tip          acumi-   acumi-   acumi- acumi-                                                nate     nate     nate   nate                                     base         cordate- acute    rounded                                                                               cordate                                               round                                                             margin       doubly   doubly   doubly doubly                                                serrate  serrate  serrate                                                                               serrate                                  Lateral leaflets                                                               (basal pair)                                                                   overlap      touch-   free     over-  over-                                                 ing               lapping                                                                               lapping                                  orientation  opposite opposite opposite                                                                              opposite                                 shape        oblique  oblique  ovate- ovate-                                                                  lobed  lobed                                    tip          acumi-   acumi-   acumi- acumi-                                                nate     nate     nate   nate                                     base         oblique  oblique  oblique-                                                                              oblique                                                                 rounded                                         margin       doubly   doubly   doubly doubly                                                serrate  serrate  serrate                                                                               serrate                                  length (cm)  11.9     14.7     11.6   11.7                                     width (cm)   7.6      8.6      7.7    8.2                                      Rachis length                                                                               1.0-1.8  0.8-2.2  0.5-1.8                                                                               2.4-3.9                                  between terminal                                                                            (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                    leaflet and  1.4)     1.5)     1.2)   3.0)                                     adjacent lateral                                                               leaflets (cm)                                                                  Glossiness   medium   medium   medium dull                                     Color                                                                          face         medium   medium   medium medium                                                137A     137A,    137A   147A                                                           139A                                                     underside    138B     148C,    191B   191A                                                           191B                                                     Petiole                                                                        length (cm)  4.0-10.0 6.6-8.5  5.8-8.9                                                                               4.0-8.2                                               (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 7.1)     7.6)     7.4)   6.0)                                     pigmentation of                                                                             unpig-   lightly  lightly                                                                               lightly                                  upper surface                                                                               mented                                                            pigmentation of                                                                             unpig-   unpig-   lightly                                                                               unpig-                                   underside    mented   mented          mented                                   Petiolule length                                                                            short    very     short  very                                                           short           short                                    Stipule      erect    erect    erect- erect-                                   orientation                    clasping                                                                              clasping                                 Flowers                                                                        Flower color white    white    white  white                                    Flowering period                                                               primocane    mid      mid      early  early                                                 June-    June-    June-  June-                                                 late     early    mid    early                                                 September                                                                               October  Septem-                                                                               October                                                                 ber                                             floricane    early    early    early  early to                                              April-   April-   April- mid                                                   early June                                                                              early June                                                                              early June                                                                            March-                                                                         early                                                                          June                                     Flower size  small    small    medium large                                    Petal                                                                          length (cm)  0.6-0.8  0.7-0.8  0.7-0.9                                                                               0.7-1.0                                  width (cm)   0.3-0.4   0.3     0.3-0.4                                                                               0.3-0.5                                  Pedicel                                                                        coloration   absent   present, present,                                                                              present,                                              or           strong                                                                                strong                                                                                strong                                                         inten-   inten-                                                                                inten-                                              weak     sity,    sity,  sity,                                                 inten-   red      red    red                                                   sity,                                                                          red                                                               length       short    medium   medium long                                     Productivity                                                                   Primocane    ˜9.2                                                                              ˜5.1                                                                              ˜7.3                                                                            ˜6.4                                            t/acre   t/acre   t/acre t/acre                                   Floricane    ˜4.1                                                                              ˜4.1                                                                              ˜2.9                                                                            ˜5.1                                            t/acre   t/acre   t/acre t/acre                                   ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS OF `TOLA`                                                       Tola    Heritage  Summit    Amity                                       ______________________________________                                         Fruit                                                                          Harvest season                                                                 primocane                                                                               mid to late                                                                              late July-                                                                               mid July-                                                                              mid July-                                          July-late mid       late    mid                                                October   November  October November                                  floricane                                                                               mid to late                                                                              mid May-  mid May-                                                                               late April                                         May -     mid July  mid July                                          mid July                                                                                mid July                                                              Color    Medium    Medium Red                                                                               Medium Red                                                                             Medium Red                                         Red                                                                   immature 44B       53A       46A     46A                                       maturing 45A-47A   45A, 46D  45A     47A                                       mature   46A, 46B  44C       42B     42B                                       Glossiness                                                                              medium    medium    medium  medium                                    Dimensions                                                                     weight (g/fruit)                                                               primocane                                                                               2.9-3.6   2.7-2.9   2.5-3.3 2.7-3.7                                            (mean 3.3)                                                                               (mean 2.8)                                                                               (mean 2.8)                                                                             (mean 3.2)                                floricane                                                                               2.8-3.5   2.3-2.7   2.5-2.8 3.0-3.4                                            (mean 3.1)                                                                               (mean 2.6)                                                                               (mean 2.6)                                                                             (mean 3.2)                                length   15.9-25.4 --        17.5-25.4                                                                              17.5-22.2                                 (primocane)                                                                             (mean 22.4)         (mean 20.2)                                                                            (mean 20.1)                               (mm)                                                                           width (primo-                                                                           17.5-23.8 --        18.3-23.0                                                                              15.9-23.0                                 cane) (mm)                                                                              (mean 20.9)         (mean 20.4)                                                                            (mean 20.2)                               Soluble sol-                                                                            9.2       --        9.4     9.7                                       ids (%)                                                                        Titratable                                                                     acidity                                                                        (% as citric                                                                            11.8      --        14.5    11.2                                      acid)                                                                          Seeds                                                                          weight (mg)                                                                             1.5       --        1.8     1.5                                       Number   93-154    45-102    73-119  62-108                                    druplets/fruit                                                                          (mean 127)                                                                               (mean 72) (mean 98)                                                                              (mean 88)                                 Firmness firm      firm      firm    firm                                      Yield    high      medium    high    medium                                    ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         ISOZYME BANDING PATTERNS OF `TOLA` COMPARED                                    WITH `HERITAGE` AND `SUMMIT`                                                   Isozyme and Pattern                                                            Cultivar  PGI           MDH    PGM                                             ______________________________________                                         Tola      A             C      C                                               Heritage  A             D      C                                               Summit    A             C      A                                               ______________________________________                                     

We claim:
 1. A new and distinctive cultivar of raspberry plant as illustrated and described herein. 